


King of the Nile

by Sassaphrass



Series: The Devil Wears Gladiator Sandles- verse [2]
Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: (past) - Freeform, Agron just really fucking loves Nasir okay?, Bullying, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fashion & Couture, Human Trafficking, M/M, Nasir is a badass, but he's not always the strong one, emotional hurt comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-09
Updated: 2014-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-12 12:11:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2109441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sassaphrass/pseuds/Sassaphrass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In retrospect maybe wearing gold crocodile skull bracelets to the home of a group of fitness obsessed macho men was not the greatest idea. </p><p>Crixus makes Nasir feel bad about his fashion choices. Agron reassures him and (shockingly) refrains from bashing Crixus' face in. </p><p>One-shot in the same verse as Brace Against a Single Day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	King of the Nile

Nasir walked through the door and immediately regretted not having changed or at least left his jewelry at work before coming over to Agron's place.

 

Crixus and Oenomaus were sitting at the kitchen table, which was unusual since Crixus rarely had any reason to be hanging around the building and, when he did, usually stayed far far away from the bits of it where Agron or Gannicus could be found.

 

It wasn't that Nasir looked bad- in fact his outfit had definitely received an approving glance from Licinia when he'd handed her the information for the Dior advertisement campaign.

 

But, it was a very extreme expression of the sort of tastes that used to get him into beaten up in high school.

 

The heavy faux-gold wrist bracers in the shape of alligator skulls, in particular, were maybe a _bit_ too much.

 

Crixus eyed him, said something to Oenomaus and started laughing. Nasir felt himself go red.

 

The problem with knowing about Crixus' past was that it didn't actually make the man any easier to deal with but it made Nasir feel guilty about hating him.

 

He pretended not to notice and tried to stride purposefully towards Agron's room.

 

He was almost there when Crixus called out to him. “Nice bracelets!!”

 

He gave up all pretence and darted into Agron's room, slamming the door behind him.

 

Agron was passed out and lightly snoring. He must have been dreaming about something nice because he looked almost happy for once.

 

Nasir didn't want to be the stupid needy boyfriend who bothered him about something so insignificant (not to mention that the last thing he wanted right now was to break up a fight between Agron and Crixus).

 

He pried the stupid bracelets off his arms and threw them in Agron's (obviously open- the man was a slob) sock drawer.

 

He stared at them nestled amid the heavy work socks. They looked out of place and wrong. He felt his eyes fill with tears. He didn't always like the fashion world but sometimes he felt like he just didn't fit in the regular one.

 

What was he thinking? What did it matter that these things made him feel like he was something that mattered? They didn't change anything. Didn't add anything to the world. Just stupid pointless things that most people thought were ridiculous.

 

Nasir looked at himself in the mirror. Long hair half-up, purple scarf. He noticed the earrings he'd put in to go with the bangles. He wrenched them out and threw them next to the bracelets.

 

He was ridiculous.

 

How could he not be? Dressed like that. He pictured the way his brother had always smiled at him. Never saying anything, defending him from bullies but always with that smile that told Nasir he was everything the bullies said he was and only defended for being a brother- not for being himself.

 

He covered his mouth to stifle a sob and hoped that Agron wouldn't wake up just yet.

 

Agron was an unbelievably light sleeper though. The man went from dead to the world to completely alert in about two and a half seconds. Probably a hold-over from what Agron called 'the bad-old days'.

 

Nasir covered his face and tried to pull himself together. This wasn't something worth crying about.

 

Agron had legitimate reasons to cry. _Crixus_ had legitimate reasons to cry. 

 

Nasir  _did not_ have the right to get upset because someone was rude to him at work and then a man he didn't even like had laughed at his jewelry. It was ridiculous. 

 

Which brings him back to why he wanted to cry in the first place.

 

He started taking his hair out. In the mirror he can see Agron drowsily sitting up and looking at him with a small frown.

 

“What are you doing in bed by 9?” Nasir said trying to sound normal.

 

Judging by the way Agron's frown deepened he'd failed at that.

 

“Had a pretty monster gym session after work and then Gannicus had made his famous macn'cheese so...food coma.” Agron explained.

 

He was looking at Nasir pretty closely. “You alright?” he asked.

 

“Fine.” Nasir replied.

 

“'Cause you look upset.”

 

Nasir shrugged. “Just Licinia- the usual. You know how she is.” He combed his fingers through his hair so that it all hung lose around his shoulders.

 

Agron's eyes caught on his wrists.

 

“Hey where are those....” he trailed off and made a gesture to his forearms. “Those arm-band things you were telling me about yesterday? I thought you were gonna show me, you were all excited about them.”

 

Nasir let out a long and ragged breath before he plucked them out of the drawer and tossed them onto the bed.

 

Agron was starting to look worried, but when he picked up the bracers he broke into a grin.

 

“Man these are cool!” He turned one over in his hands, then he looked up and with mock serious appraisal took in Nasir's outfit.

 

He brightened even further. “I got it!” he pointed a finger at Nasir's huge purple scarf and waggled the bracelet in the other hand. “King of the Nile! That's what you were going for right?”

 

He looked so proud of himself and for the first time, he'd actually guessed it right. Nasir nodded but couldn't speak because he was too choked up.

 

Agron went from smug to terrified in a second, scrambling off to the bed to wrap his arms around his boyfriend.

 

“Hey, what's the matter? I _knew_ something was up. C'mon tell me.” Agron asked holding him close in a tight hug.

 

Nasir couldn't help crying, but he shook his head against Agron's sternum.

 

“Don't do that.” Agron pleaded. “I wanna help. How can I help if you don't tell me?”

 

“'ts stupid” Nasir mumbled into his chest.

 

Agrons held him a little tighter. “It upsets you it's not stupid.”

 

Nasir pulled back and wiped at his eyes. “Do you think it's...” he trailed off.

 

Agron nudged him with one hip. “C'mon ask.”

 

Nasir bit his lip. “Do you think it's silly?...What I do? I mean...alll” he waved to himself and to the bracelets and his big purple scarf. “All this.”

 

Agron frowned and ran a hand through Nasir's hair. “No, of course not. I mean...I don't always get it but, it's not like you get rugby so...”

 

He suddenly froze. “Did...did someone do something or say something to you?” he said slowly.

 

Nasir winced. “No. Not really I just...” he huffed and sat down on the bed. After a pause Agron gently settled down next to him. Close but not touching.

 

“I don't know how you can take me seriously.” He said finally. “I just...it's so frivolous. You guys are all so--” he cut himself off. Didn't want to say something he'd regret and besides Agron hated hated hated talking about his past. But it was hard to justify caring about the Dior campaign when you considered teenage boys like Agron, and Duro kidnapped and rotting in a basement.

 

Nasir sighed.

 

Agron seemed to be taking a moment to mull this over. “Someone did say something to you, didn't they?”

 

Defeated, Nasir nodded. To his surprise Agron didn't get angry. Instead he threw and arm around his shoulder and brought him close to plant a kiss on his hair.

 

“It's not frivolous.” Agron declared. “Because you love it, and I love you. Some of the brother hood still have their heads stuck in that fucking basement. They think all that matters is food to eat, someone to fuck, and being stronger than the man next to you. That's not living. There's nothing good in that way of thinking and quite a lot of terrible”

 

Nasir felt better tucked up against Agron's side and leaned in putting an arm around his waist.

 

Agron combed his fingers through Nasir's hair for a second.

 

“You know we were allowed to use some of the money we made to buy stuff sometimes instead of 'putting it towards our debt'.” Agron said at last.

 

Nasir frowned and leaned back to look him in the face. He hadn't heard this. Agron never talked about the actual events of his captivity.

 

“Lot of guys it was booze and drugs and bring a girl in. But, almost all of us had some small trinket we'd end buying or bartering off someone.”

 

“One of the men, he'd been there a long time. Spartacus told me about this, he was dead by the time I got there, but, he kept pigeons. He'd catch them, and he had these little cages and he fed them from his own portions. Wasn't anything useful about it, but he was probably the only person in that place who had a little bit

He acted as a protector to some of the young kids that would get brought in. One in particular but others as well. 'Cause some of the guys were so fucked in the head that they'd—they'd hurt those kids if no one was looking out for them. He'd barter for little trinkets, to give to the kids.

It was stupid and it got him killed in the end but it kept him more fucking human that most of the animals in there....”

 

Agron sighed heavily and stared at the wall for a long moment before he pulled at the chain he wore around his neck and showed Nasir the pendants on it.

 

“I traded these from various guys in that place- Duro had this fake gold nose-ring. Ugly piece of shit. Crazy right? I mean, talk about frivolous. He was lucky it never got infected...but he loved that thing. Said it made him feel like he was the same kid from Munich... I'll kick anyone's teeth in who says it doesn't matter what we wear, because, as someone who didn't have any say in anything at all, it fucking matters that I can wake in the morning and choose my own clothes. It's the silly frivolous things that make being human bearable, Nasir.”

 

He chuckled. “I mean don't get too full of yourself you're not curing cancer but..” he shrugged. “I stand behind a desk , answer phones and press a buzzer for a living. I'd say my job is _way_ sillier.”

 

Nasir smiled up at him and kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

 

“Your gratitude is welcome but unnecessary. I only act as any decent person would on seeing one they love distressed.” Agron replied, waving away Nasir's grattitude.

 

He lay back down and Nasir cuddled up on his chest. Agron had picked up one of the bracers again and was playing with it.

 

“So...” he said casually. “Who was it that said something to you?”

 

Nasir shot him a warning look. “It doesn't matter Agron. I don't want you making trouble.”

 

“Fine Fine!” Agron held up his hands in surrender. He tried to put the bracer on himself but it just wouldn't quite fit over his hand.

 

“It was fucking Crixus wasn't it?” He said suddenly.

 

Nasir shot him a look which, apparently, was confirmation enough.

 

“I shall have words with him about it.” Agron promised.

 

Nasir groaned and buried his head in Agron's arm. “Don't please.” he begged.

 

“I will not have him upsetting you.” Agron declared.

 

“He didn't...I was too sensitive.”

 

“No, Crixus is only able to be a human being with an actual heart while in the presence of Naevia: it is a strange fact of nature. I will simply remind him that people other than himself have feelings and experience love and it is unpleasant when the people _I_ love are unhappy.”

 

Nasir sighed. “Or you could just tattle on him to Naevia and let her give him hell.”

 

Agron's eyes grew wide. “That is an excellent idea Nasir.”

 

Nasir turned his head to smile at Agron.

 

“That is a very excellent plan indeed.” Agron looked positively delighted at the prospect of giving Crixus trouble through the medium of his beloved girlfriend. “Gratitude.”

 

Nasir shrugged. “Well, there is a reason you love me.”

 

Agron wagged the bracer in his face. “Yes.” he said very seriously. “It's your fashion sense.”

 

Nasir smiled very widely and crawled up the bed to give his boyfriend a kiss. He leaned down to touch their foreheads together.

 

“Thanks for not laughing at me.” he murmured.

 

Agron met his eyes. “I would never laugh at you.”

 

Nasir smacked him lightly. “You laugh at me all the time you liar.”

 

Agron shrugged but looked unrepentant. “Well, sometimes my love, you're pretty funny.”

 

Nasir snorted, grabbed the bracer back from Agron, and slipped it on his wrist.

 

He pushed himself up onto his knees and put his hands on his hips.

 

“Is that any way to talk to the King of the Nile?” He asked imperiously.

 

Agron grinned from his spot on the bed. “I suppose not. Perhaps you ought to come back down here and teach me a lesson.”

 

Nasir laughed and leaned down to kiss his boyfriend.

 

He was glad after all not to have left his jewelry at the office.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The bracelets/bracers I'm describing are gold casts of crocodile skulls that go from wrist almost to elbow. I saw them in a fashion magazine ages and ages ago but couldn't find a picture of them online. 
> 
> If Nasir was a fashionista I feel like he'd wear stuff like that. 
> 
> Sometimes, even when you're passionate about something you can't help but feel uncertain about it in the face of society telling you you're an idiot. 
> 
> Writing this was oddly therapeutic. Comment please?


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